The Servant’s Effort and the Divine Favor
Embarking on the path of truth and reaching spiritual levels begins with the servant’s effort, but ultimately it is completed by Allah’s grace and attraction (divine pull). Abdülkadir Geylânî (q.s.) describes how wide open the gate of mercy is with this glad tiding: “Accustom your heart to walking. If it takes one step… That Shah takes five steps. Perhaps even more…
Attraction Overcoming All Things
When divine love descends upon the heart and Allah desires to draw the servant closer to Himself, all obstacles are swept away. “Divine attraction has come; it is more valuable than all that people and jinn do.” Through this attraction (divine pull), distances that cannot be overcome through years of worship are traversed in an instant. The servant’s love for Allah is actually a consequence of Allah loving that servant and placing that affection in his heart. As long as the servant remains sincere in their intention to seek and walk, the desired Beloved (Allah) will surely draw them closer.